hen married Gisella, sister to the Duke of Bavaria, Emperor Henry II. The marriage reiterated the decision of the Magyars to align with the Western church and strengthened Hungarian political alliances.
Upon Geza's death, Stephen found himself struggling to succeed his father. Until this time, the Magyars had practiced the system of senioratus, in which the oldest and most able warrior of the Arpad line acquired the succession. With conversion, Stephen and his followers decided that adopting the Christian system of primogeniture, in which leadership is passed to the firtsborn son, was a more appropriate method of determining the new chieftain.
Stephen's cousin, Chieftain Koppany of Smogy County, disagreed. As the oldest able-bodied descendant, he believed he was entitled to the office. At Geza's death, Koppany stormed into the palace during the funeral feast. He demanded both the throne and the duke's widow, Princess Sarolta (Sharolt), as his rightful inheritance. Rebuffed by the princess and by Stephen, Koppany banded with a group of nobles t
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